Rainwater can save life in Aila-hit areas

A marooned locality under Aila impact

Satkhira was the most affected district by the terrible storm 'Aila' that swept over the southern parts of the country. Shaymnagar and Ashashuni upazilas of the district have been damaged heavily. As dams breached, saline water flooded the area, spoiling all the sources of sweet water and damaging vast fields of crops.
Three years into the storm, the area is still facing acute shortage of drinking water. Many private organizations have been making their all-out efforts to solve the problem which is too big for them.
Visiting Shaymnagar it was found that poor people simply fail to get access to pure drinking water.
Water Aid, an international non-government organisation, has taken an initiative to mitigate crisis of drinking water by training up the people of the Aila-hit area to preserve rainwater.
“Now we can drink pure drinking water,” said Shebuti Rani who lives in Mundapara at Shaymnagar.
The organisation has set up a big jar (locally called Motka) where rainwater is collected from the tin roof of house. The jar has the capacity of storing 800 liters of water.
Before learning the method from the NGO, many people like Rani used to drink rainwater by storing it in polythene bag. “It smells bad after few days," she said. “So the way we preserved rainwater before it became undrinkable,” she said.
Kazi Rashed Haider, engineer of Water Aid, who is also working at the household level for safe management of rainwater, said preservation of rainwater is very costly for the poor people.
“A jar with adequate capacity costs Tk 12,000. But the cost can be reduced to Tk 5,000 using poly fabric and other materials,” he said.
He also said the stored water can meet 6-8 months' drinking need leaving water crisis in the dry season unattended.
“Jar with adequate capacity is imperative to keep meeting the need till next rainy season. But they cannot afford it,” said Rashid.
However, efforts are on to store adequate water at an affordable cost, he said.
It is learnt that vast stretches of Shaymnagar and Ashashuni of Satkhira, Dakop and Kyra of Khulna, and Sarankhola of Bagerhat got flooded with salty water pushed by Aila.
Salty water has spoiled all the sources of sweet water. The people of this area are longing for safe drinking water since then. Now they live on the dam in makeshift houses. But their life is at risk due to lack of pure drinking water.
Senior ground water specialist of the Institute of Water Modeling (IDW) Mizanur Rahman said drinking the preserved rainwater in the disaster prone area or costal belt is safe. Local government can play a vital role on best use of rainwater, he said.
Chairman of Shaymnagar Sadar Upazila SM Jaglul Haider said preservation of rainwater is becoming popular here. He urged the government to help set up big jars in the area to solve sweet water problem.
Local representative of Water Aid Dr Md Khairul Islam said we are ready to provide technical assistance on preserving rainwater. A model show on use of rainwater can be arranged, he said.
The writer is a media consultant